I love smart, funny, original books.  So years ago when a savvy reader-friend told me to read The Sweet Potato Queen’s Book of Love by Jill Connor Browne, I obeyed.   I loved that book (still do) and laughed so hard I nearly pulled a rib.  Little did I know that one of the author’s many cheeky bits of advice would become a favorite quote, if not a mantra, and become a key theme for my own book The Intentional Networker™: Attracting Powerful Relationships, Referrals & Results in Business.

This advice:  “Be particular.”

Ms. Browne went on to call it  “the Best Advice Ever Given in the History of the Entire World” (pg. 59 of the edition I have on my bookshelf). She added that it works in all manners of decision-making, from boyfriends to finances to mixing the best margarita ever.  I’d have to agree.  It’s pure wisdom you can apply to just about anything you do — and it fits quite nicely with networking.

That said, let’s review.  Are you Being Particular in your networking efforts? Are you intentional and choosy about:

• How many events you attend and how often (so you have ample time to tend to current clients and projects)?
• The types of events you attend?
• The groups to which you belong?
• The way you present yourself?
• The words you use?
• The ways you share and showcase your talents?
• The people with whom you spend your precious time?
• The contacts to whom you bestow your business cards?
• The requests you make of the people with whom you are connected?
• The referrals you make?
• The materials and information you send to your database?
• The information you post on social media?

If you’re not using the simple and near-genius “Be Particular” guideline, don’t be shocked if you’re not getting the excellent results you so desire.
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Exciting news! My book, The Intentional Networker™, which received a top-shelf review from Midwest Book Review*, will launch nationally on Monday, October 3. This means you can order it off Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major book outlet sites with no wait. The electronic version is also complete. Ordering details will be posted very soon.

*Per Midwest Book Review, September 2011: ” When you zero in on networking, you get much more out of it all. The Intentional Networker™: Attracting Powerful Relationships, Referrals, & Results in Business is a guide to more efficient networking in today’s business world. From making more efficient connections, being selective in your allies, and how to make these connections, Patti DeNucci advises readers on the power of focused networking and how to make it a reality for one’s own business. The Intentional Networker™ is a strongly recommended pick for anyone who wants to boost their business’s networking power.”